On a remote island in the middle of the Pacific, deep in the lush rainforest, just miles away from an active volcano, you can find artist Jacob Medina working on one of his whimsical tiki or skeleton paintings. Serenaded by coqui frogs and frequent downpours, Jacob creates his unique vision of Hawai’i by combining its legends, myths, and cultures with imagery from his Mexican heritage. “I was actually born on the Day of the Dead”, he explains, “so this holiday with its icons of sugar skulls and skeletons became very personal to me.” But it wasn’t just the special connection to his heritage and this holiday that influenced his artwork. “One of my earliest influences came from skateboarding. I used to copy graphics like Jim Phillips’s “Screaming Hand” or Powell Peralta’s skull series. They had a tremendous impact on my subject matter and style. Skateboarding was really my first glimpse into the Lowbrow art scene.” Right out of High School, Jacob spent five years in the army, with a deployment to Kosovo, after which he was ready for a big change, and moved to Hawai’i where he earned his BA in Art and was properly introduced to the icon of the tiki. “I think of the skeleton and tiki as armatures where I can build a variety of my own characters and archetypes that live in a world of fantasy, adventure, and humor.”
20 Tiki Mugs
